Impact Wrestling Preview 1/4/18

Impact Wrestling returns tonight (Jan. 4) on Pop TV with the final episode from the most recent set of tapings.

Here’s what’s advertised for tonight:

Career vs Career – No Hold Barred Match: James Storm vs. Dan Lambert

Impact Global Championship: Eli Drake (c) vs. Alberto El Patron

Impact Tag Team Championship: oVe (c) vs. LAX – if LAX loses, they must disband

Impact Grand Championship: EC3 (c) vs. Fallah Bahh vs. Matt Sydal

X-Division Championship: Trevor Lee (c) vs. Ishimori

* Chandler Park in ring debut

Impact Returning To Live Pay-Per-View With Lockdown In 2018

Impact Wrestling officials are currently planning the next live pay-per-view event to be held in late April or early May 2018, according to PWInsider. The first pay-per-view of 2018 will be the Lockdown event, which features all matches in a steel cage.

Lockdown had been a yearly pay-per-view, one of TNA’s biggest, until being re-branded as a special Impact episode in 2015. The last Lockdown Impact episode took place in January 2016 (televised on 2/23/16).

Impact is planning on running more live pay-per-views in 2018 but there’s no word yet on when those events might take place.

Source: WrestlingINC

Laurel Van Ness Under Contract to Impact Wrestling Through June

Laurel Van Ness Impact Wrestling 121417

It was reported back in early December that Laurel Van Ness had requested her release film Impact Wrestling. Van Ness didn’t let Impact Wrestling management know about her plans until well after they booked her to win the Knockouts Championship on those tapings. Van Ness, who signed with the company last year, is looking to leave Impact wrestling as soon as her current deal with the organization runs out. During an interview with The Orlando Sentinel, it was revealed that she’s under contract with Impact through June 2018.

Source: 411Mania

EC3 Files Documents To Trademark Name

Image result for EC3 entrance Impact Wrestling 2017

Impact Wrestling star EC3 has filed documents in an attempt to legally own his character’s name.

EC3 filed trademark documents last week which state he wants to use the name for “Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services in the nature of live visual and audio performances by an actor.”

The documents also note that he wants to use the name for “conducting fitness classes.”

Sources tell Pro Wrestling Sheet that Impact’s recent public statements about allowing wrestlers to own their characters in the future gave Ethan Carter a final push to lock the name down.

As previously reported, Ed Nordholm recently stated they’d be amending talent agreements to allow Impact wrestlers to use their personas after leaving the company. Executive Vice Presidents Don Callis and Scott D’Amore have reiterated this during recent interviews.

If they stay true to their word, the wrestler will likely own the name in the next few months.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Jeff Jarrett Rehab Update

Jeff Jarrett is back home after completing WWE-sponsored rehab.

Jeff had checked into rehab at the end of October several days after he had an incident at a Real Canadian Wrestling show in Calgary where he was in no condition to perform, but still wrestled in the main event. Following that incident, Impact Wrestling announced that they officially terminated their business relationship with Jarrett. Karen Jarrett then reached out to WWE to send Jeff to rehab.

Karen posted a photo on Instagram last night of Jeff back home, as seen below:

Source: WrestlingINC

James Storm On If He Would Be Open To Working In WWE NXT Again

Image result for Cowboy James Storm NXT

Former Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion James Storm was a guest on Cerrito Live and addressed a number of pro wrestling topics including being the only non-WWE performer to attend Ric Flair’s 30 For 30 party, what Storm has been doing since leaving Impact, and what the future holds for Storm.

Apparently, Flair invited Storm to the 30 For 30 premiere the day of the event.

“Yeah, it was really cool because I got the text and the phone calls actually the day of, ‘hey, ‘Cowboy’, I want you to come down to Atlanta [Georgia] for ESPN and I want you to walk the red carpet with me’ and all this. The day of. Right, it was 10:30 in the morning here, which is 11:30 in Atlanta. It’s a four-hour drive from here to Atlanta, plus Atlanta traffic, so I had to leave literally as soon as I got off the phone. Like, I grabbed some clothes, threw it in the trunk, and I just hauled ass to Atlanta and I got changed in my truck in the garage. That’s [pro] wrestling style, right there, for you. And then, I pulled my hair back, threw my hat on, and I got there as soon as Flair and his wife, Wendy, were getting out of the limo.”

Interestingly, Storm said nobody drank at the premiere out of respect for Flair.

“No, I mean, he was still Flair. It was super cool just to go to his party. And, like, no one was drinking in respect to Flair. And I think a lot of people walked in to see what Taker was doing also. If Taker wasn’t drinking, no one was drinking, was how it went down. But I do think it is out of respect for Flair that no one was drinking there, especially the boys. They paid their respects to him and as soon as that party, then, all the boys went to a different place for an afterparty.”

When asked how he currently occupies his time, Storm said he is trying to get in good shape in case the right opportunity comes along.

“Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’m actually at a gym right now. I’m spending most of my time in the gym, just getting into the best shape that I can. Hell, I’m down to 11% body fat right now, which, at the last TVs, I was up to 16, so I’m hitting it hard because you never know what’s around the corner or what could be next for old James Storm.”

Storm indicated that he would not be sorry about his damn luck if he went back to NXT.

“People always say, ‘main roster or bust type of guy,’ but if you look at NXT, it’s one of the hottest things going right now no matter what people say. And it’s one of those things where anybody would be proud to be signed to NXT and have a good run there. I mean, it’s plain and simple. They are doing as much as the people on the main roster is on the road and stuff like that right now. So, I mean, I’d definitely go and work with those guys and help them out as best I can.”

Also during the interview, Storm said he would like his next move to be a surprise to the wrestleverse.

“There are a lot of companies and the funny thing is that I’m now free to talk and negotiate with other companies and actually go work for other companies. But right now, I think I kind of want to keep it under wraps, make it a surprise where old James Storm pops up.”

Storm explained, “I just want to be a surprise because today, especially in our social media world, there [are] not that many surprises anymore. And because everybody wants to be cool and I always say, ‘people are wrestling for the likes and the retweets’ or GIFS, whatever they call those things these days. But to me, I always try to keep stuff kayfabe and keep stuff secret until it happens or whatever, so it’s even cooler when it’s a surprise.”

Credit to Cerrito Live

Source: WrestlingINC 

Impact Wrestling Preview 12/14/17

* A Summit between LAX and oVe

* James Storm & Moose call out American Top Team

* #1 Contenders Fatal 4 Way: Sienna vs. KC Spinelli vs. Madison Rayne vs. Allie

Knockouts Championship: Rosemary vs. Laurel Van Ness

* Caleb Konley & Trevor Lee vs. Dezmond Xavier & Taiji Ishiimori

* Alberto El Patron, Petey Williams & Johnny Impact vs. Eli Drake, Chris Adonis & a mystery partner

Top Impact Wrestling Stars Returning To WWE?

We noted before that Bobby Lashley, Eddie Edwards and current Impact Grand Champion Ethan Carter III (EC3) could be leaving Impact once their current contracts expire. Like the recent departure of James Storm, these departures would come as Anthem looks to stop losing money. We also noted that WWE does have interest in signing Edwards for the WWE NXT brand. It appears WWE also has interest in Lashley and EC3 as The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that one or both will end up returning to WWE as they are expected to leave Impact when their deals expire.

Source: WrestlingINC

Impact Selling ‘Backstage Pass’ For Tapings

Impact has announced a $199 “Backstage Pass” package for the January 2018 TV tapings at Universal Studios in Orlando. The package comes with 2 front row tickets for all 6 nights, 2 free months of the Global Wrestling Network service, a bag of merchandise, meet & greets, an in-ring photo op, brunch with the Knockouts and a spot to compete in the first-ever Impact Mini-Golf Championship, which will include some of the wrestlers. You can purchase the pass at the link below:

Source: WrestlingINC

Significant Impact Staff Departures

Impact had two significant staff departures this week – Live Events Manager Rafael Morfi and Director & Producer Dave Sahadi. PWInsider reports that Morfi’s departure came after he and Anthem were unable to come to terms on a new financial agreement. Morfi has worked for WWE in the past and continues to work with others such as WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and House of Hardcore.

Sahadi, who also worked for WWE in the past, came to the company in March 2006 and it was seen as a major hire for TNA. He’s worked as a Director & Producer but was let go this week. His departure was described as the latest cost-cutting move by Anthem. Sahadi was considered to be a really talented Director.

Morfi tweeted the following on his departure this week:

Source: WrestlingINC